The Life of John Tasmer: Volumes 1-3
by Rottensilverfin
Summary: This is a collection of John Tasmer's history; a biography. My name is Clavius Lalelius, and I am a historian of Cheydinhal. My most recent project has been chronicling the life of the wood elf John Tasmer. This is a full account of his life told to me by John himself. I hope that you will enjoy it.


Volume l:

John Tasmer was not originally called John Tasmer.  
Born on 21st of Second Seed, 3E 380 as Hilyat (literally meaning "follow me" in the Bosmeri language), this Bosmer had a strange start to say the least. Both of his parents were Thalmor insiders working for the Empire in Falinesti, and they were each highly respected individuals within the Aldmeri Dominion. Or, so they thought.  
In 3E 385, just five years after Hilyat had been born high within the treetops of Falinesti, the Thalmor had come to a decision. For many years now, the Thalmor had been controlling the information that Hilyat's parents would receive. The Empire had been getting lies for years, unbeknownst to the two Bosmer. So, as a show of force to the Empire, the Thalmor mercilessly decided to have the two Bosmer beheaded just north of Arenthia, off the coast of the Abecean Sea.  
Just before their departure, and knowing his own fate, Hilyat's father met at the border of Valenwood and Cyrodiil to give his two-year-old son to his brother, Cerandil, a Bosmeri wizard who left the Imperial Legion to work on his experiments. Cerandil was a cold and ruthless elf, living within the walls of the reclusive Frostcrag Spire in the Jerall Mountains. Throughout the rest of 385 and 386, Hilyat lived with his uncle at Frostcrag Spire, learning how to cast simple ward spells at a young age.  
On the morning of 6th of Frostfall, 3E 386, Cerandil took Hilyat with him to First Edition Books in the Imperial City. Cerandil had gotten an ancient spell tome rebound, as he wanted to save it for Hilyat to inherit. As Cerandil pushed the door open the the bookstore, an arrow struck him in the back of the head, and the Bosmer's corpse snapped to the floor. Chaos ensued, with residents and tourists alike fleeing inside nearby buildings. A few people ran into the bookstore, one taking the crying Hilyat's hand and pulling him in.  
Yelling was heard just outside the door, and from the window some guards could be seen carrying the wizard's lifeless body away. Soon enough, the people had begun to clear out of the shop, and Hilyat was left there to ponder what he would do next. Just before the shop was completely cleared, an older Imperial man had spotted the three-and-a-half year old Bosmer in the corner of the shop. This particular man happened to be a priest of Stendarr, the god of mercy and justice, and one of the Nine Divines. His name was Vesben Weylon. Without any persuasion, Hilyat went with the man to his house in the Imperial City.  
In order for him to blend in and be accepted as one of their own, Vesben changed Hilyat to where he would only be recognizable as a Bosmer in appearance. Vesben first changed Hilyat's name to John, and added Tasmer on the end to remind John himself that he is still a wood elf. Vesben then began to teach John to worship the Nine Divines, letting him choose which he would focus his studies on. To him, Mara and Stendarr stood out as the two that he could identify with most, so they became his focus. When John had reached his teenage years, Vesben had begun to teach him how to hunt. However, this didn't last long.  
In 3E 401, Vesben was dying. The old priest had left his home to John, as well as most of his possessions. Vesben's money and expensive possessions were sent to his cousin's home in southwestern Cyrodill for safekeeping.  
Until 3E 433, John learned to hunt wild animals north of the Imperial City, and made his living from their meats and hides. One evening, John was making his way back from the forests. He had no luck that day with hunting. Just before he reached the edge of the forest, he spotted a deer eating some berries off of a bush. John quickly crouched behind a tree, pulled an arrow, lined it up, and let go. It had been a clean kill, and John sprinted over to clean it and take it home. However, as he got closer to the dead animal, he saw that is wasn't an animal at all. It was a Khajiit alchemist who had been picking berries.  
John was horrified. He knew that his life was over, and he had to turn himself in. He sheathed his bow on his back around his quiver, and carefully picked up the woman's warm, dead body. Not long off in the distance, a patrolling Imperial Legion soldier was riding his horse down a path, his torch lighting the darkness. That's what John headed toward, moving slowly to hold back his emotions.  
As he approached the guard, the soldier failed to notice John. It wasn't until John said "Excuse me, sir." in a broken voice that the guard looked over to him. After explaining what had happened, the soldier led him to the prison where some more soldiers were there to receive him. A mortician took the body, and a jailor helped him with the necessary paperwork.  
John was distraught, and all he could think about were any memories of his parents that he could throw together, mixed with memories of Cerandil and Vesben. It was a short walk to the cell; first one on the left. Right across from it was a mad Dunmer, who must have had been in his cell for ages. Little did John know that he would only be in that cell for a few days until Emperor Uriel Septim Vll visited his cell, looking for the royal escape route.

Volume ll:

In the years following the Oblivion Crisis, John Tasmer slowly declined in recognition. He was still remembered and revered among the people, but was nicely able to fit in with the rest of society. A few statues of himself were of course still spread throughout Cyrodillic cities, and people still spoke of him, but only in the education of children.  
Guilds still revered him as well. The Fighter's Guild only saw his leadership until a year after the Crisis, when he let a more dedicated Imperial take over the Guild. He also left the Thieves Guild not long after the Crisis, being plagued with the guilt of stealing from people, many undeserving of the crime. As for the Mage's Guild, he stayed with them for the longest. Arch-Mage Tasmer, as he was called, stayed as the Arch-Mage of Cyrodiil until 4E 201, when he left to travel the Jerall Mountains. However, that story will be saved until later.  
Rumors about involvement within the Dark Brotherhood also surrounded John Tasmer, but none were ever confirmed, and he denied by claims.  
While keeping up with his day-to-day affairs of being Arch-Mage, John Tasmer also began training a small group of wizards. If a local conflict were to happen, or if a region-wide war were to break out, he would be ready to stand up against the opposition. His small group consisted of a Dunmer, two Imperials, and a Breton. They specialized in destruction and restoration magic, designed to support, not fight in direct combat.  
During Last Seed, 4E 5, the Argonians from the recently seceded Black Marsh had attacked Morrowind. In fear for her family, the Dunmer in John's group, Sydil Felnel, urged him to travel to Morrowind to help repel the Argonians. Without much hesitation, and his urge for adventure once again clawing at his mind, John collected his group and set off for southern Morrowind.  
After getting tips from House Indoril, they arrived in Mournhold to the senseless slaughter of dark elves. The fighting had already happened. All they could provide to Mournhold was aid. The ash and destruction from the eruption of Red Mountain made it especially difficult to survive in that area.  
The city was abandoned. Dead Argonians and Dunmer lay strewn everywhere. The ones that were living, be them Argonian or Dunmer, were barely alive. John Tasmer and his group searched through Mournhold, but Sydil's family was not found. The invasion had already begun and ended, and aid they could not provide was needed. The whole event lasted a mere two months.  
And now, dear reader, I will take time to tell you about the friends of John Tasmer. It is important to know of the sort of people that John surrounded himself with during the time leading up to 4E 200. His followers were not only his friends, but they became his advisors. These people in some way helped shape his major decisions regarding strife throughout Tamriel. What John couldn't do, they could.  
His first follower that he expressed interest in was the Dunmer previously mentioned, Sydil Felnel. She hailed from a rich family of conjuration mages in southern Morrowind. When she was eighteen, her family sent her to the Arcane University in the Imperial City. John Tasmer sought her out mainly for her compassion for other races; John himself was racist against Argonians and Khajiit, and he knew that he needed someone to help him with this flaw.  
The next two followers were the two Imperials, Maxillius Trelon and Pasdal Maed. They had been rivals since childhood, both hailing from Anvil. Their specialty in destruction magic eventually brought them to the top of a tournament in the Arcane University, with Maxillius winning against Pasdal. John saw the potential within the two, and recruited them to begin his group.  
The above two followers came to John in 4E 1, but it wasn't until 4E 4 that the lonely Breton joined Arch-Mage Tasmer.  
Dilbor, or "Dilbor the Lonely", was born in Chorrol, Cyrodiil. His parents left him for unknown reasons when he was a young boy, and he silently taught himself illusion magic while he was working to barely pay for his cost to live. As soon as Dilbor could, he joined the Arcane University, but kept his studies to himself. When John Tasmer came to greet Dilbor and welcome him to the university for the first time, the young illusion wizard was already failing miserably at his other studies. Except for illusion. John saw the potential for another specialty wizard on his team, and John recruited him.  
Being better prepared this time, John and his team travelled back to Morrowind to help with reconstruction efforts as best as they could. The group stayed in Morrowind for five years, traveling through various cities to provide aid to those who needed it. While he was away, Raminus Polus was put in charge of the Arcane University while John took his leave.  
In 4E 10, John Tasmer returned to Cyrodiil to attend the funeral of Potentate Ocato, who had been killed by Thalmor agents. Once again, John was reminded about the Thalmor and their ferocity towards anyone not part of the Aldemeri Dominion. Ocato had been a good friend of John, and John had hated the Thalmor even more for their hostility towards the Empire, towards his friends, and towards his family.  
"The years passed quickly," John would always say. In fact, in the way that the old elf spoke of it, I dare say that being Arch-Mage was the best time of John Tasmer's life. For 200 years, the Arcane University saw the same Arch-Mage as their leader. Throughout the rest of his leadership, the Arcane University's graduation rate was much higher than it had ever been before. Necromancers were virtually nonexistent throughout Cyrodiil, and Nibenay was considered one of the safest places on all of Nirn. Whenever there was a serious crime involving magic, Arch-Mage Tasmer would be there to take care of it. He was quite a well-to-do leader.  
It wasn't until 4E 42 when John was active outside of the university again. He travelled with the Imperial Legion to Sentinel to repel the attacking Thalmor, in which he failed. When the Empire finally reached Sentinel, the Altmer refugee camp had already been destroyed, along with its citizens.  
Not until 80 years later did Arch-Mage Tasmer travel from the university. The only living original member of his group was Sydil, and had recruited to his group a little bit of every talent. He described it as "an army that could fit in the palm of his hand".  
In 4E 122, Arch-Mage Tasmer travelled alone to the College of Winterhold to examine the destruction of the city. Nearly all of it had been destroyed, having crashed into the ocean. The remaining buildings were scattered along the cliff side, with the college sitting alone atop a glacier, unscathed. John stayed for a while to help construct a bridge to the college before traveling back to the Arcane University.  
John Tasmer was 175 years old. To most of eleven-kind, that is a little over the average dying age. However, to the rest, that is still young.  
You see, humans live to be in their 80s and 90s, while elves live to be in their 140s and 150s. But unlike humans, if elves feel they are meant for something more in their lifetime, that particular mer will simply live longer. They wouldn't give up at, let's say, 147 years old, when they've experienced everything in their life that one person could experience. Truly, the age of 150 is enough for any race, but most races do not live long enough to do everything they want.  
By Second Seed 4E 171, John was 224 years old. As he was studying at his round table covered with books within his tower, Sydil appeared in the room atop the transporter. It was a machine that Arch-Mage Traven had created, nearly 200 years back. He had been dead for 171 of those years.  
Sydil had bad news. The Thalmor were back in Cyrodiil, and they had conquered Leyawiin. Bravil was being laid under siege.  
Troops were sent, but the Thalmor armies were too strong. The Imperial Legion was moved to the Imperial City, and three years later, the Thalmor sacked the capital of Cyrodiil. Emperor Titus Mede ll took the Imperial Legion, along with the Arcane University and countless citizens of the Imperial city, and smashed north through the Thalmor blockade to meet up with Imperial forces from Skyrim.  
Arch-Mage Tasmer's handful of mages were of major aid to the Empire during all of the war, which became known as The Great War.  
In 4E 175, along with forces from Skyrim, Titus ll marched upon the Imperial City with the Imperial Legion, overwhelming the Thalmor occupiers. The Battle of the Red Ring was a major victory for the Empire, eventually putting an end to the war — but on Aldemeri terms. There was peace once again within the weakening Empire as the Thalmor settled around the Imperial controlled Cyrodiil and Skyrim. It was an uneasy peace, but still a peace.  
John Tasmer stayed in the Imperial City until he felt that urge to, once again, go on an adventure.  
Frostfall, 4E 201. High King Torygg is killed by the Jarl of Windhelm, Ulfric Stormcloak. Ulfric retreats into the Jerall Mountains while being hunted by the Empire. Without notice to anyone, John Tasmer leaves the Imperial City to aid the Empire and to help search for Ulfric in the mountains.  
While searching through a cave, John is struck on to of the head by a falling rock. He had no helmet. "Those only got in the way", he used to say. I remember the old Bosmer telling me that he thought he was simply dead. In that moment, death is what raced through his mind. But how? He was obviously living.  
No one knows who or what saved John Tasmer that day. The most likely and accepted theory is that Ulfric Stormcloak himself was the one that found John and saved him. Although there is no proof, and John himself could not remember, it is likely that he was labeled as an accomplice to Ulfric and taken to Helgen on the day of Alduin's attack on the village.  
With no word being sent to the Arcane University about anything John was doing, he was presumed dead. The people eventually forgot about him, but they would soon enough learn of him once again by his deeds for the Empire in Skyrim.

Volume lll:

After the Stormcloak Rebellion, Skyrim had stayed within the Empire, but Titus ll was dead. He had been killed by assassins. The Empire as a whole was feeling stronger than it had been since the Oblivion Crisis. Even if Emperor Titus Mede ll was dead, this brought in a new era of rule to Skyrim and Cyrodiil.  
After much decision by the Elder Council, a new system of government would be formed; one with an elected king with a term of ten years.  
John Tasmer came back to Cyrodiil with his adopted daughter, Sissel, in 4E 204; right in time to celebrate the new era. The Fifth Era.  
The citizens of Hammerfell and High Rock made a bold move to join the Empire in 5E 3, secretly sending word to the newly elected leader of the Empire, Hannifin Concifersus, an Imperial soldier that fought in the Great War.  
When Hammerfell and High Rock rejoined the Empire, the Thalmor didn't retaliate. The Empire allowed the Thalmor peaceful passage through Cyrodiil back to Valenwood, but not all of them left. The Thalmor kept protected outposts in Hammerfell just as they did with Skyrim. To this day, The Aldemeri Dominion only consists of Summerset Isle, Valenwood, and parts of Elsewyr, but support is waning in the latter two regions.  
John Tasmer saw no more adventures. He knew that he was done with what he was needed for, and he retired to Cheydinhal in 5E 4. Sydil Felnel had been promoted as the new Arch-Mage of the Arcane University in 4E 202, when John was presumed dead.  
He remained an active member of the Cheydinhal Mage's Guild for nine more years. This is where I met him, at the guild hall, and he told me of his story. I promised him that I would publish it in a book one day.  
It was dusk, 8th of Last Seed, 5E 13 when I visited John for the last time. He lay in his bed, resting. Everyone knew it was his time. His daughter Sissel sat in a chair to the right of his bed, with Arch-Mage Felnel on his left. The entire Cheydinhal Mage's Guild filled the room. Emperor Concifersus and a few Penitus Oculatus guards stood in the room too. Everyone wanted to pay homage to this man and meet with him one last time.  
John Tasmer peacefully died in his sleep that night at his home in Cheydinhal. He was 270 years old. John was buried in the Imperial City, with his epitaph reading "John Tasmer of Falinseti, Forever Faithful to the Empire". That was it. There was no mention of him being the Hero of Kvatch, the Dragonborn, or Arch-Mage of Cyrodiil. He was not worshiped as a god as Talos, although his life was just as monumental.  
It was a privilege to know him, and I hope I have helped you with this chronicle. I would like to close this biography with a word from John Tasmer himself. He told me he wanted this at the end of his biography:

_"There comes a time in anyone's life when they know that they're done. When they know that everything they could have ever been meant for has been completed. When one has reached this state, this state of 'life completion', a certain serenity can be felt. That is what you should always strive towards. If there is nothing else for you to chase after in life, chase after completion. I promise to you that it is worth it."_  
**- John Tasmer, 5E 10**


End file.
